Who else wanted Tennessee Vols football coaching job in final days under John Currie?

Despite the Tennessee football coaching search becoming a national punchline in its final days under former athletic director John Currie, coaches remained interested in the job – even if Currie didn’t know who some of them were.

“Wanted to let you know I just received a call from Rich Bisaccia wanting to talk with you if you are not locked in on a coach,” Tyler Johnson, Tennessee’s associate athletics director for business and internal operations, wrote in a text message to Currie on Nov. 28.

Tennessee released Currie’s text messages on Thursday as part of a response to a records request USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee submitted in December.

Currie received a message from Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson’s agent on Nov. 30, which proved to be Currie’s last full day as Tennessee’s acting AD. Currie was in California that day pursuing Washington State coach Mike Leach.

Jack Reale, Johnson’s agent, wrote that his client had interest in the Tennessee job.

Johnson’s Yellow Jackets played Tennessee in the 2017 season opener, a game the Vols won 42-41 in overtime. Johnson, whose teams are known for running the triple-option offense, has been Georgia Tech’s coach since 2008.

Johnson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday he didn’t know about his agent’s text to Currie.

“I’m sure that’s Jack being an agent. But it never got mentioned to me,” Johnson told the AJC.

Johnson agreed to a two-year contract extension with Georgia Tech in January.

But Brady Hoke surely wasn’t playing games with Currie when he texted the AD on Nov. 29. Hoke sent Currie a message of support and told his boss to let him know if he could be of any help.

“I’m sorry who is this,” Currie replied.

Currie had changed phones two days earlier after his number got leaked amid Tennessee’s pursuit of Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano. Currie’s phone was flooded with text messages from angry fans.

Currie appointed Hoke to be Tennessee’s interim coach on Nov. 12 after firing Butch Jones.

Hoke replied to Currie’s text with his identity and told his boss he was in Atlanta recruiting.

Currie then called Hoke. After they spoke on the phone, Hoke followed up with another text message.

“JOHN I HOPE YOU DO KNOW I WOULD LIKE TO BE YOUR HEAD FOOTBALL COACH,” Hoke wrote in his all-capital-letters style. “I DO KNOW THE ENVIRONMENT WE LIVE IN AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AT TENNESSEE!”